U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/159,535, filed Dec. 1, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,339 discloses apparatus for dispensing web material from a coreless roll of such material. In particular, the invention disclosed therein incorporates structure which deters against theft of a coreless roll, i.e. a coreless paper roll having a plurality of convolutions and a central opening defined by the innermost convolution, until the roll has been substantially depleted.
Most conventional rolls of consumer paper products, such as toilet tissue, are not coreless in nature, instead comprising a paper web wrapped about a central core of paper-board or the like. The coreless paper roll dispenser apparatus disclosed in the above-identified application is not suitable for use with the more conventional paper roll product utilizing a core. The paper roll product with a core will not be mounted in a stable fashion on the apparatus. Furthermore, the roll with core can be readily removed from the apparatus and the paper roll product stolen. Obviously, this becomes a particular problem when the apparatus and roll are employed in public washroom facilities.
A search directed to the invention of the present application located the following United States patents, which are believed to be representative of the current state of the prior art in this field: U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,179, issued Aug. 4, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,213, issued Apr. 23, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,423, issued Oct. 12, 1971, U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,027, issued Aug. 19, 1980, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,823, issued Feb. 28, 1989.
The above-identified patents do not address the problems discussed above and which are solved by the present invention.